


tell me who's the loneliest of all

by ravenbranwyn



Series: RWBY [20]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Schnee Siblings, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 10:10:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18363914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravenbranwyn/pseuds/ravenbranwyn
Summary: Weiss was eleven when Winter left home.Or a small study of Weiss and her relationships with her siblings in my AU.





	tell me who's the loneliest of all

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheoFromTV](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheoFromTV/gifts).



Weiss was eleven when Winter left home. 

There had been some sort of fight between their father and Winter and she came storming out of his office with a bruise on her face. Weiss could remember crouching with Whitley behind one of the suits of armor in the hall. As soon as Winter had disappeared towards their rooms the pair had scrambled to their feet and followed as quietly as an eleven and eight year old were able. Winter had paused before pushing her door open and then left it open. A clear invitation for them to follow. She had been sat on her bed and Whitley immediately climbed up beside her, reaching up to touch her bruised cheek. Weiss shut the door and followed. 

“Winter?” she had asked, curled up against her side. Winter ran her fingers through Weiss’ hair, undoing the ponytail it was in. She wrapped her other arm around Whitley and sat saying nothing for a long time. As Weiss prepared to speak again Winter sighed.

“Father… does not want me to attend Atlas Academy,” she said finally. Whitley had cocked his head to the side like a curious bird.

“Why not?” he asked.

Winter smiled. “He’s just worried about me, little snowflake, that’s all. He does not think it...appropriate for an heiress to attend an academy for Huntsmen and military officials.” Weiss knew now that that was far from the truth, and Winter had been trying to protect Whitley. Whitley had crossed his arms and stared at the bruise on her cheek. Winter didn’t flinch, just patted his head. “Training,” she said, by way of explanation. Weiss and Whitley knew that wasn’t true, the bruise was a little too perfectly palm-shaped, but they didn’t argue it. Klein soon came to find them for dinner, telling them it was their mother’s night to dine with them. He had stopped Winter and helped her cover up the bruise before sending her down with the others.

After, when Whitley had already gone to bed, Winter came in to help Weiss brush out her hair. Weiss stared down at her hands. “Winter?” Winter hummed. “What...will happen if you  _ do _ go to the Academy?” Winter’s hands stilled.

“I don’t know, Weiss. He told me if I did I would lose my position as heiress.” Weiss was quiet and laced her fingers together.

“You should go. I...I can handle it. Being the heiress. Protecting Whitley.” Winter finished brushing out Weiss’ hair. She hesitated while getting up and dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

“Go to sleep, Weiss.” She turned the light off as she walked through the door, clicking it shut.

In the morning, she was woken by her father screaming in anger. Her mother was standing in the door, the smallest smile on her face. Winter’s bed was empty, some of her clothes were missing, and there, under the pillow, the edge of a note. Weiss moved quietly to the bed, pulling it out with the tips of her fingers and stuffing it in the sleeve of her nightgown. She felt a quiet surge of pride that Winter had left, but also a heavy sadness. If she had known it would possibly be the last time she saw Winter for a long time, she would have told her she loved her.

~~~~

Weiss was twelve when her official heirship was announced. Winter had come home twice in the year she was gone. Once, on a break from school, and the second for one of Weiss’ recitals. She hadn’t stayed long either time, but had taken Weiss and Whitley to get lunch in the city, at the expense of their father. She bought Weiss a little hairpiece that looked like a tiara and Whitley a charm for his Scroll. She regaled them with stories from school and her team, SILK. When she finally dropped them off at home, she hesitated in the doorway until Klein appeared and asked if she’d be staying for dinner. Winter gave a terse smile and said “No,” before squeezing Weiss and Whitley’s shoulders and leaving. Weiss stayed in the doorway for a little longer, watching her sister disappear down the driveway. Whitley tugged insistently on her hand once Winter was out of view until Weiss turned to him and smiled. “Would you like to play for a bit before dinner? I think I still have an old tea set we can use,” she said. Whitley lit up.

“Yes, please!” Weiss silently swore to keep her promise to protect Whitley as she took his hand and led him upstairs to wait for dinner to be announced.

And Weiss Schnee is fourteen years old when she breaks that promise.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So this is a little part of a whole big thing I'm working on that I hope to reveal soon! This is part of the _**i'll be good**_ universe, which is an [IronQrow](https://ravenbranwyn.tumblr.com/post/181230508759/a-little-more-about-my-ironqrow-au-where-qrow) fic that I'm working on! Linked is a whole rundown of what I kinda wanna do with it. [Here is another scene from it as well!](https://actually-good-rwbyaus.tumblr.com/post/181738606147/pls-write-ur-qrow-takes-ruby-and-yang-out-of)  
> SILK stands for "Winter SCHNEE, IRIS Martine, Amber LAUREL, KYRIN Asher"!


End file.
